Through ownership changes, COVID and a possible Dallas Stars arena, the restaurants have weathered the uncertainty and aren’t going anywhere
Walk through the half-demolished corridors of The Shops at Willow Bend today, and it’s easy to assume the whole property is on its way out. Storefronts sit dark. Sections of the old mall have been demolished. But tucked into what used to be Saks Fifth Avenue and the space beside it, two restaurants aren’t going anywhere.
Knife Steakhouse and Mexican Bar Company hold 20-year leases that run more than a decade past the wrecking ball, and their owners plan to be serving dinner through every phase of demolition still to come.
It’s a distinction that’s gotten lost in years of coverage about a dying mall, according to Mexican Bar Company President and Founder Brian Dunne and Knife Steakhouse Owner and Operating Partner George Stergios, who have weathered four ownership groups, countless management companies and a pandemic shutdown.
“We’re definitely not going anywhere,” Dunne told Local Profile. “We’re here to stay. We’re going to be there for another 12-plus years.”
A Mall That Never Got Its Footing
The Shops at Willow Bend opened in August 2001 at 6121 W. Park Blvd. as Texas’ last enclosed mall, a $200 million luxury bet anchored by Neiman Marcus, Foley’s, Dillard’s and Lord & Taylor. Weeks later, the tragedy of 9/11 unfolded, and the mall never really found its footing. A 2014 renovation push under Starwood Retail Partners promised new life and new restaurants, but by 2020 the company had defaulted on its loans, and occupancy drifted back down to roughly where it started nearly two decades earlier.
“It looked like Chernobyl with dead trees everywhere,” he said.
Photo: Visit Plano
The anchor list has thinned out year by year. Saks Fifth Avenue left in 2010, and its store was later torn down. Apple closed its store in 2019. Macy’s announced in January 2025 that its Willow Bend location was among 66 stores closing nationwide. Dillard’s announced its own departure that November and closed its doors in January 2026, ending a 25-year run as an original anchor. The Crayola Experience, once a signature family draw, went dark that same February after falling behind on rent. Neiman Marcus, now the mall’s last operating department store, is set to close in January 2027. Crate & Barrel is one of the few original tenants still standing after a string of closures hit the mall in 2026.
Centennial Real Estate bought the mall in May 2022 and won city approval for The Bend redevelopment plan in February 2024, calling for the demolition of more than 500,000 square feet of retail space. Macy’s abrupt closure announcement sent Centennial back to the drawing board a year later, and the reworked plan now folds in apartments, offices, a hotel and green space around the surviving retail. Then, in June 2026, came the news that reframed the entire project: the Dallas Stars signed a non-binding letter of intent to build a new arena at the 107-acre site, part of a larger sports and entertainment district that would need voter approval for public funding in a special election set for Nov. 3.
Two Restaurants, One Big Bet
Dunn and Stergios both opened their restaurants in 2018, betting on a mall that was already struggling. But they had a bigger picture in mind. Mexican Bar Company signed its lease that October, while Stergios opened Knife alongside Michelin Star–awarded, James Beard-nominated chef John Tesar. Both brought decades of experience: Dunn started as a dishwasher at 14 before opening nightclubs and restaurants in New York City and later moving his family to Allen, while Stergios grew up around his family’s restaurants and worked with numerous respected restaurateurs and chefs.
Then COVID hit. Stergios closed for nine months. Ownership of the mall changed hands again.
“I’ve been through four different management companies, three owners, COVID,” Stergios said. “Now I have the Stars coming, and I have people not knowing if I’m here or not here.”
With sections of the mall dark and demolition underway, Stergios says guests and would-be diners alike aren’t sure whether Knife is even open before they make the drive. “People tend to forget we’re here,” Stergios said.
“Not Bred To Throw In The Towel”
Neither owner describes staying as a hard decision. For Stergios, it comes down to why he opened the restaurant in the first place.
“We started this restaurant to be successful, not to fail,” he said. “I’m not bred to throw in the towel no matter what comes in. And now we have an actual eye on a prize now with what’s coming.”
Dunne also points to the paperwork. Mexican Bar Company signed a 20-year lease when it opened, and that commitment hasn’t wavered even as the property around it has been gutted and rebuilt in phases.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Dunne said. “We’re going to be the anchor restaurants. We’re going to be the focal point for the growth.”
Photo: Mexican Bar Company
Both owners describe a good working relationship with Centennial, including showing up to advocate for the redevelopment at a 2024 city council meeting on the zoning change.
“They’re actually local people, and they’re supportive. They’re very approachable,” Stergios said of the ownership group. “I think they want us to stay here. They want to be able to attract other restaurants in front of us.”
Staying Independent In A Corporate World
For both men, part of what they’re protecting isn’t just square footage. It’s a way of doing business that they see disappearing.
“We’re owner-operated, we’re mom-and-pop places, we’re not big corporations,” Dunne said. “For our company, there’s one restaurant in America, in the world. It’s very important that people know that we are here every day.”
Stergios sees Knife’s staying power the same way. In a corridor where he expects most new tenants to be recognizable national names, he’s hoping for company.
Photo: Knife Steakhouse
“We’re not your typical restaurant. It’s more of a boutique local restaurant than a steakhouse,” he said. He hopes Centennial keeps that in mind as new tenants sign on, favoring independent restaurants over massive corporate-owned concepts.
“We are more so part of the community than these big chains are,” Stergios said. “The restaurant for me is a passion, and I love it. It’s not about making a billion dollars out of it. I love meeting people, talking to people, putting things together, working with my staff. We’re almost a relic in the way we operate.”
What Comes Next
Both owners are already thinking past demolition, toward a property that will eventually be called The Bend instead of The Shops at Willow Bend, anchored by an NHL arena and, they hope, a run of new locally owned businesses following their lead.
“We see ourselves as two anchors for the property,” Dunne said. “We see ourselves as a gateway to the future of the property.” He expects future tenants and operators to eat their first meals on the property at his restaurant or Knife’s, long before their own doors open.
Stergios is looking toward the hotel planned for the site and the visibility that’s eluded Knife for years, bringing the corporate dinners, the pre-game steaks, the anniversaries that never made it onto his reservation book because people didn’t know he was there.
“When everything is built here, that’s going to give us that opportunity,” he said.
For now, both men are staying put, cooking and serving through a construction zone, betting that the same instincts that got them through a pandemic and a handful of rounds of new management will carry them into whatever The Bend becomes.
And for the owners who have spent eight years fighting to stay, that is more than a footnote in the redevelopment story. It is the story.
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Dining and Cooking